Chance to win £2,000 golden egg at Whitby Abbey

There will be plenty of fun at Whitby Abbey's Easter egg hunt.

Published:13:21Tuesday 19 April 2011

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The Easter bunny returns to the official home of Easter this April, when the lead character from Universal Pictures latest movie Hop arrives at Whitby Abbey as part of the site’s family fun Easter trail.

And visitors will have the chance to win a golden egg worth more than £2,000.

From the makers of Alvin and the Chipmunks and Despicable Me, Hop is expected to be this Easter’s hit film.

Featuring James Marsden, (X-men) and Russell Brand, (St. Trinian’s), the film tells the story of Fred, an out-of-work slacker who unintentionally injuries the Easter Bunny and ends up having to nurse him back to health.

Treasure hunters can search all over the Abbey grounds - where the date for Easter was set back in the seventh century - for eggs that will reveal a secret message.

Children cracking the trail will receive a prize of Lindt chocolate and one lucky visitor has the chance to win a golden egg, worth over £2,000.

Jamie Marshall, Whitby Abbey’s visitor operations manager, said: “Our Easter trails are always fantastically popular with visitors, but this year there’s an extra twist as a cuddly bunny will also be hidden somewhere within the Abbey’s grounds.

“At the end of the visit, anyone who has spotted the bunny should write down its location on a postcard and send it in.

“One of Whitby Abbey’s visitors will receive the bunny as a gift and one lucky winner, from the 26 participating English Heritage sites, will win a real golden egg worth over £2,000.”

With an extra bank holiday this year and Easter being late, staff at the Abbey are convinced the event programme will be a huge success.

Mr Marshall added: “Late Easters have a better chance than early ones of the weather being very good, so as an outdoor attraction, we thank St Hild whenever the date falls into late Apri.

“This year, we will potentially have three busy weeks in a row, with the school holidays in the two weeks leading up to Easter, and then many adults without children taking three days off work between the two extended weekends to enjoy an 11 day break.”

The Abbey’s Easter trail will be running until Easter Monday (25 April).